Macro
Category: Terminology Category: Guides Description A Macro is a shortcut to execute a sequence of one to six Commands, each of which can be used to active a Job Ability, start casting a spell, issue a pet command, change an equipment, put text to a chat channel, or perform some other function. The execution is sequential, and can be interrupted by activating another macro during /wait commands or by pressing the Escape key or the cancel button on controller/gamepad during select target (e.g. or others) commands. A macro interrupted during its execution will not complete the command on which the interruption occurred, nor execute the remaining commands in the sequence. Users are given 20 Books (as of the 11/19/2007 version update), with 10 macro palettes each. Each palette consists of 2 rows of 10 macros each. Every Content ID or character has its own, unique set of macro palettes, which are not shared with other characters on the same account. Note that the macros are tied to the game clients, not the game servers; user playing the same account on a different client machine (e.g. another PC, PS2, or Xbox 360) will not have access to macros written on the previously used machine. Storing Macros on PlayOnline Servers It is now possible to store configuration data on PlayOnline's servers, in addition to your game machine's own hard disk drive. Up to four slots are available on your hard disk for this purpose, while one slot is available on the server. One slot stores one character's worth of configuration data. Saving Macros to the Server At the character selection screen, highlight a character and press the following buttons/keys and choose the slot in which you want to save the configuration information for the highlighted character. :PlayStation 2: L1 button + L3 button :XBOX 360: LB + left stick button :PC/Keyboard: Shift + Alt + Ctrl + B Loading Macros from the Server Bring up the configuration file load screen by pressing the following buttons/keys at the character selection screen, and choose the slot from which you wish to load. :PlayStation 2: R1 button + R3 button :XBOX 360: RB + right stick button :PC/Keyboard: Shift + Alt + Ctrl + R Deleting Macros from the Server Bring up the configuration file deletion screen by pressing the following buttons/keys at the character selection screen. Confirm deletion to restore default settings for the currently highlighted character. :PlayStation 2: R1 button + L2 button + R3 button + L3 button :XBOX 360: R2 + L2 + right stick button + left stick button :PC/Keyboard: Shift + Alt + Ctrl + D Backing up Macros PC Users PC client users can safely back up macro files while not logged on to the character. (The files seemed to be saved from memory to files when zoning and when logging off, and perhaps at other times.) The default location for files containing the macros for PC clients is at: C:\Program Files\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI\USER\{ID}\mcr*.dat PS2 Users PS2 Users can use PlayOnline storage in their PS2 browser to store up to 4 sets of 20 book macros each (Slot A, Slot B, Slot C, Slot D), each slot is marked with the name of the character, date the macro set was saved to storage, and the time it was saved to storage. They can be switched at the Character Select screen when logging on. To save or restore macros in this way (stored on the PS2), follow the instructions above for saving/restoring from the PlayOnline servers but choose one of the slots on your PS2 when prompted. Macros are stored on the PS2 and can not be loaded from another console. Available commands Each macro starts with a command to determine what type of command you will issue. The most common are as follows. : *If you are Ninja main or support job, and are equipping the same weapon in both Main and Sub via macro, a /wait may be necessary. Selecting a Target (Pronouns) At the end of your macro line, you must choose a target in which to activate the spell or ability. The available are as follows: : Targeting specific party and allience members: : Syntax When using the top three commands especially, there is a certain syntax you must follow in order to get the macro to work effectively. When programming your macros, be sure to always include proper spelling, punctuation, and targets. : *If you are Ninja main or support job, and are equipping the same weapon in both Main and Sub via macro, a /wait may be necessary. **The ability to target a mob by name (i.e. /ta "Leaping Lizzy") seems to have been removed to prevent NM-claiming macros. Misc. These are just some additional things which make using macros more helpful. These may be placed anywhere in a /s or /p string. : See Also :Commands: Information on all commands available for use. Macro Guides * Summoner Macro Guide * Beastmaster Macro Guide * White Mage Macro Guide * Puppetmaster Macro Ideas * ASCII alt codes (ie. how to make special characters)